Display device



C. ROBERTS DISPLAYDEVICE Sept. 6, 1938.

Filed May 28, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet l C. ROBERTS Sept. 6, 1938.

DISPLAY DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 28, 1938 Sept. 6, 1938. c. ROBERTS 2,129,023

DISPLAY DEVICE I Filed May 28, 1938 4 $heets-$heet 3 Sept. 6, 1938. c. ROBERTS DISPLAY DEVICE Filed May 28, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR 0% 12M;

Patented Sept. 6, 1938 Q STATES PATENT OFFECE "DISPLAY DEVICE Charles Roberts, New York, N. 12, assignor to Multiposter Advertising Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 28, 1938, Serial No. 210, 554

16 Claims. (01. 40-36)- This invention relates to a moving display my display machine, showing theplacement of mechanism in which an oscillating mechanical the motoroperating the device in dotted outline in movement directly driven by a motor operates the base thereof. transversely a constantly vertical bar clamp which Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 the base be- 5 engages each frame holding a display sheet seing partially broken away to show the reduced quently, and. moves the frame a predetermined speed poweroutp-ut shaft 20 of the motor 5. distance along a closed track circuit in which the Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the machine frames are free to move. 7 taken on line 33, Fig. 2, "the motor 5 being "A, duplexbar clamp is shown and is positioned omitted for clarity. A section of the central panel 10 on the oscillating mechanism which is illustrated being cut through to show the frames compacted 1(1)- asa parallel bar movement. behind the same.

The bar clamp is free to move up and down Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the machine on each clamp as it traverses its oscillating are taken on lines 44 of Fig. 5. Fig. 4 also shows of movement but the clamp itself is always parclearly when compared with Fig. 3 the amplitude I allel to the long axis of the frame as it is moved fi t s Oscillating parallelogram e t. at ts 15 along the restraining track circuit. two extreme positions and the relationship of the It has been found that moving displays opermechanical frame lock at one end of the magaating continuously day in and day out are subzine and the release mechanism and forced movejected to a very severe service, one of the obment of those frames in the magazine which in a0 jects of this invention is to eliminate chains and thecycle have not yet been moved forward, a similar structure which stretch and change the frame width, by the mechanical actuated frame essential coordination of the machines mechapusher.

nism. Amechanism as herewith disclosed cannot Fig. is a vertical section taken as line 55, become deranged by wear if properly designed in Fig.1. 7 g H to that extent to cause the stoppage of the ma- Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view of the magazine 25 chine. Another valued feature which gives asand the two extreme positions of the oscillating sured operation is the mechanical locking gate duplex clamp which actually transports each which controls the first two frames in the magaframe along the empty portion of the track cirzine or the two frames that are about to be moved, cuit of the machine.

ne into displ y position n the th r out f Fig. 7 is the same as Fig. 6 only it shows the 30 display position, along the circuit by the oscillatduplex clamp in full lines at a mid position in ing mechanism. its oscillating movement and at! ,a coincident HAP-Other 01318013 is to devise double Clamp which moment the mechanically actuated frame pusher en a s e h frame asit i carried f w da n having completed its movement forward of a h track Circuit Such t although t W majority of the frames in the magazine in order 35 clamp n n the fl are vfree 0 V 1 p to reduce the peak load on the motor, in contrast, d dow .O h framegas dictated by h 34150 if the duplex clamp shown in dotted lines was generated by the oscillating movement yet the required to moveforward the entire number of framein transit will be firmly held against y frames compacted in the magazine, one frame forces ,which might free it from the clamps either th t 't proper regjstratiQ 40 l forward. backward direction until h Fig. 8 is an enlarged section taken on line 8-8 frame has .c dim predetermined t in Fig. 4 to show an automatic pawl 30 interposed n he j t t9 the compactefl frames at a point in the compacted magazine where the formlng W {m i 1n mechamcal Steps mechanically actuated pusher, see Fig. 9, moves ts c m mtervals o 1901mm of the frames forward a portion of the compacted frames to first and the rest of the frames at the end of the divide, the motor peak load Thepawl 30 display pull-away to reduce to a minimum any t th f t 1 peak load on the motor operating the device; this S rams e rames so movie 0 preven lsp ace- I procedure is most practical to relieve the motors a w? stall the 5 0 operation. Other objects and details will be more 9 5 an enlarged sectlon taken on 1me,99 explicitly developed in the ensuing specifications i 4 and shows Clearly the amoljmt of m v fld accompanying drawings which be ment of the frames moved forward in the magasiderd as illustrative only of the theme of my Zine to minimlze the P motor loadi'nventiom .Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional elevation to 5% Fig. 1 is afront elevation partially in section of show the C d at on o t mec a lock with the three adjacent frames, A, B, and C as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 11 shows the relative position of the frames and look as frame A is moved away by the oscillating arm with the lock in a raised and unlocking position in respect to frame A.

Fig. 12 shows the frame lock again lowered and in a locking position in respect to frame B.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of the invention, reference being had more particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings, number I indicates the glass display window, 2 is the cabinet of the machine, 3 are lighting cowls for the display; number 4 a lock detaining the rear panel which has hinges 6, see Fig. 2, and 5 is the motor in the base of the cabinet to operate the machine. Referring to Fig. 3, number i indicates the frames or holders into which the display sheets are secured and which are slideably retained on upper and lower tracks 8, which form a closed circuit. Frames I are normally compacted to form a magazine along a portion of the track 8, see Figs. 5 and 6. Two parallel bars 9 and Hi, see Figs. 3 and 4, are fulcrumed on lower fixed bearings, H and I2 respectively, the upper extremities of the bars 9 and H) are likewise fulcrumed into a T-shaped cross head I 3, see Figs. 3 and 4, by bearings l4 and i5 respectively making in effect a closed parallelogram movement, the cross head l3 always remaining in a vertical position during its transit from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4. On the cross head I3 is secured by means of two hinges I6 and H, see Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the swing member or pusher |8, as well as the swing lock l9, the bar ties the top and bottom arms, which compose the swing lock l9, rigidly together. Looking at Fig. 5 and at the phantom drawing of the elements l6, l8, and IE3 at the left end of the drawing showing these elements at the extreme left position, at which point they pick up frame A, it is readily seen that the element l8 under infiuence of torsion spring 2|, see Fig. 3, which keeps the extremity of the pusher i8, recessed in to the bottom of the U-shaped frame A while the lip 22 of swing lock l9, also under influence of spring 2|, bears against the forward edge of the U-formed frame and forms a lock to prevent the frame A from falling ahead of the oscillating arm while in transit to the right extreme position shown in full lines in Fig. 5. By virtue of the reversal of movement of the assembly |5, |8, and I9 at their position at the extreme right position in Fig. 5 the edge 24 of frame E forces the pusher element |8 to recede inwardly and coincidently it is noted that the cam arm 25 see Fig. 3, secured to the main vertical panel 2'! of the machine has contacted with the upwardly extended arm 25 attached to bar as the oscillating mechanism has swung into position as illustrated in Fig. 3, thus the lip 22 has been positively forced away from looking contact with the U-shaped frame E and as the oscillating mechanism reverses its motion the frame in question is completely unlocked and is positively retained in the position as shown in Fig. 3 by the retaining action of the spring actuated pawls 28 and 29, see Fig. 5. Turning now to Fig. 4 wherein the oscillating arms 9 and i5 are at their opposite extreme positions due to the angle of its contact with the edge of frame A, see Fig. 5, it is depressed and slides into position as seen in dotted lines at the left of Fig. 5 so that a reversal of movement of the oscillating arms 9 and E3 the frame A is carried with the members H3 and i9 providing the arm 30, see

Fig. 5, is in an unlocked position. It has been found that it is very essential for perfect functioning of a machine of this character that the leading two frames in the compacted magazine always register at a precise point ready to synchronize with the transition element. If these two frames become deranged during shipping from the factory or from one point to another, the machine locks up due to the misalignment of these two frames. I have devised a duplex frame lock, that is, it is duplex in that it positively controls these two leading frames in the magazine. To clearly show this action, Fig. 10 shows the two leading frames in the magazine respectively A, and B with C the succeeding frame; 3| is the locking arm which may be integral with or rigidly attached to the locking gate slide bar 32.

Slide bar 32, see Figs. 3 and 4, is retained by pins 33 which act as crossheads moving in slots 34. On arm 35 secured to slide bar 32 is attached spring 36 which is secured under slight tension to the chassis or panel 21 at 36a so that normally element 32 is retained in the lowered position as seen in Fig. 3. A cam lever 39, see Fig. 4, fulcrumed on panel 2'! at 40 is connected to slide bar 32 by virtue of the pin 3'5 secured to bar 32 which slides in slot 38 cut in cam lever 39. A pin 42 on parallel bar it is so positioned that it contacts with the cam surface 4| on lever 39 just before the oscillating elements have arrived at the position as is shown in Fig. 4, the contact of pin 42 with cam surface 4| elevates the locking slide bar 32 with its frame locking arm 3|. This movement is specifically shown in its relationship with frames A, B, and C in, first, Fig. 10 wherein frame A is locked due to locking bar 3| contacting the U shaped side wall of frame A whereas when slide bar 32 is-elevated by the above described action the bar 3| is then shown in its elevated position in Fig. 11 now having registered with aperture 5| in frame A and frame A has started to move away. As slide bar 32 again is lowered, due to spring 35, and also as an additional safeguard by pin 42, contacting with cam surface 4|a on lever 39 positively lowering bar 32, lockbar 3| has again been lowered and has passed through opening 38 in frame B, allowing frame B to reach a registering position in the circuit as shown in Fig. 11, as and when during the oscillating mechanism transit to the left as seen in Fig. 3 the following described mechanical pusher mechanism has forced forward all frames in the compacted magazine from the point Z, see Fig. 7, to frame A therein. This movement which is chosen at this approximate point Z is essentially chosen to reduce very materially the peak load on the motor and is accomplished as follows: looking at Fig. 4, roller pin 46 secured to oscillating element l8 contacts in its arc of travel with the lever 44 at its extremity 45, which lever 46 is fulcrumed at 43 and which has a slot 48 cut into its upper extremity. A pin 49 secured to the roughly T shaped arm 50 which in turn is cross headed by pins 53 and 54 secured to the panel 2! and which are slideable in the slots 5| and 52. In this manner as and when lever 44 is turned on fulcrum 43 the pin 49 engages the slot 48 and draws member 50 to the left, see Fig. 4. Pawls l9 and H which engage the back side of frames I through the cut cuts 84 and 85 respectively, see Fig. 4, also Fig. 9, are secured at the upper and lower extremities of element 50 by the pivot rod T! which in turn is secured to element 56 by the clamps 18 and 19. Thus the pawls it and 7| engage the proper frame 1 and forceit and all of the preceding frameswith their 7 turn to its initial position, the pawls over-riding the next succeeding frame as it in turn is pushed forward to fill up gap Z by the final movement of the remainder of the frames 1 as will be shortly described. As the oscillating movement, see Fig. 10

3,- completes its movement to the right as shown and carrying a particular frame 9E! in its transit, which frame fill, still securely held by pusher pawl i8, contacts frame 9i and pushes it forward and hence forces all the remaining frames forward, thereby dividing the magazine resistance into two distinct and succeeding movements, the first, produced by cross head element 50 and having completed its movement, dividing the magazine before the last movement begins; in this manner the motor load is reduced in contrast as if all the frames but one, for registration purposes, were moved at one time by the'motor. Transverse springs 63 and 69 are positioned across the top and bottom of the unfilled portion of the circuit to prevent the isplays from falling inward across the path of a succeeding display movement.

The operation of the machine is clearly understood to those skilled in the art from the above description, the oscillating assembly preferably a parallelogram actuated by the motor engages the displays, at one extremity of its movement by virtue of the pivoted elements l 8 and 22 which always remain aligned to the display or frame in question while in transit, the elements 18 and 22 being free to slide up and down on the frames 1 as they follow the arc of the oscillating movement. As the oscillating movement moves to the left it relocks frame B, see Fig. 11, and moves the compacted frames in the magazine forward the width of one frame I, in two distinct andsucceeding steps, the locking element 22 being withdrawn from the frame at the conclusion of its transit due to the action of cam 25 and the pushing element iii ceases to function as the oscillating assembly reverses itself at the extremity of its movement. The pawls 28 and 29 retain the frame, justcarried forward, in contact with the next compacted frame in the magazine.

It should be noted that if the load (motor 3 torque) card is studied of this type of display machine, there is seen to be a very sharp peakload at the one point in its cycle where the displays compacted in the magazine are all advanced together along the circuit, a step essential to registration with the window. This movement calls for a motor of unneeded size, cost, and weight for the operation of the rest of the cycle which consists of moving a single display across the show window, Therefore, my invention embraces means to very materially reduce this peak load by spreading it in two or more sequential movements of the magazine and is a valuable contribution. It should also be observed that this procedure is essentially different from advancing one or two displays in the magazine for proper registration as such a step does not reduce the peak load and accomplish the desired result.

What I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

I. In a display device containing a show Window and comprising a plurality of overlapping displays movably restrained in a closed circuit, said displays compacted in a portion of said circuit, a motor driven oscillating mechanism, latching means on said oscillating mechanism, means to maintain said latching means parallel with the edge of said displays movably restrained in said circuit, means to lock said displays when compacted in a portion of said circuit including that portion opposite said window and synchronizing means to unlock said display locking means as and when said oscillating mechanism is at one of its extreme oscillating positions.

2 In a display device containing a show window and comprising a plurality of overlapping displays movably restrained in a closed circuit, means to compact said displays along that portion of said circuit that traverses said window, oscillating motor driven means to move one display at a time along that portion of said circuit empty of said compacted displays and means associated with said oscillating means during one normal throw of its oscillation to advance a majority of said compacted displays along said circuit'a predetermined distance thereof and means just at the termination of said normal oscillation to move the remaining displays.

3. In a display device containing a show win dow and comprising a plurality of overlapping displays movably restrained in a closed circuit, means to compact said displays along that portion of said circuit that traverses said window, oscillating motor driven means to move one display at a time along that portion of said circuit empty of said compacted displays and means associated with said oscillating means during one normal throw of its oscillation to advance a por-' tion of said compacted displays along said cir cuit a predetermined distance thereof and means just at the termination of said normal oscillation to advance the remaining displays.

4. In a display device containing a show window and comprising a plurality of overlapping compacted displays, movably restrained in and partially filling a closed circuit therefor, motor driven means to move said displays one at a time along an empty portion of said circuit; said means consisting of an oscillating parallelogram, the lower end of which is fulcrumed at a point below the horizontal plane of said window.

5. In a display device containing a show window and comprising a plurality of overlapping compacted displays, movably restrained in and partially filling a closed circuit therefor, motor driven means to move said displays one at a time along an empty portion of said circuit; said means consisting of an oscillating parallelogram, the lower end of which is fulcrumed at a point below the horizontal plane of said window, and display latching means on the upper end of said parallelogram. Y

. 6. In a display device containing a show window and comprising a plurality of overlapping compacted displays, movably restrained in and partially filling a closed circuit therefor, motor driven means to move said displays along an empty portion of said circuit; said means consisting of an oscillating parallelogram, the lower end of which is fulcrumed at a point below the horizontal plane of said window, and latching means on the upper end of said parallelogram, and cooperating means on said displays to engage said latching means.

'7. In a display device containing a show window, a chassis, said chassis containing a plurality of overlapping compacted displays movably restrained in and partially filling a closed circuit supported by said chassis; a motor driven oscillating parallelogram movement, the upper cross member of said parallelogram supporting latching means to connect with said displays to move said displays along the empty portion of said circuit.

8. In a display device containing a show window, a chassis, said chassis containing a plurality of overlapping compacted displays movably re strained in and partially filling a closed circuit supported by said chassis; a motor driven oscillating parallelogram movement, the upper cross member of said parallelogram supporting latching means to connect with said displays to move said displays along the empty portion of said circuit, and means to fulcrum the vertical parallel members of said parallelogram to the chassis of said display device.

9. In a display device containing a show window, a supporting chassis, said chassis containing a plurality of overlapping compacted displays movably restrained in and partially filling a closed circuit, a motor driven oscillating parallelogram, the minor cross member at one end of said parallelogram supporting latching means to connect with said displays to move said displays along the empty portion of said circuit, and means to fulcrum the other ends of the major parallel members of said parallelogram to said chassis.

10. In a display device containing a show window, a supporting chassis, said chassis containing a plurality of overlapping compacted displays movably restrained in and partially filling a closed circuit supported by said chassis; a motor,

a closed parallelogram movement formed by two comparatively long sided elements and two compartively short sided elements, one of the short elements formed by said chassis and fulcrumed thereto, the other short element supporting engaging means to move said displays one at a time and means to oscillate said parallelogram by said motor.

11. In a display device containing a show window, a chassis, and comprising a plurality of overlapping displays movably restrained in a closed circuit secured to said chassis, means to compact said displays along that portion of said circuit traversing said window, motor driven means to transfer one display at a time along the empty portion of said circuit, and means synchronizing with said motor driven means to advance along said circuit a predetermined distance, said compacted displays in a plurality of groups seriatum during each interval consumed to transfer one display at a time along said empty portion of said circuit.

12. In a display device containing a show window, a chassis, said chassis containing a plurality of overlapping compacted displays movably restrained in and partially filling a closed circuit supported by said chassis; a motor, a closed parallelogram movement formed by two comparatively long sided elements and one comparatively short sided member, the other short side of the parallelogram formed by the two long sided elements, each terminating into a fulcrum and spaced apart, and secured to said chassis and means to oscillate said parallelogram by said motor.

13. In a display device containing a show window and comprising a plurality of overlapping displays movably restrained in a closed circuit, means to compact said displays along that por tion of said circuit that traverses said window, oscillating motor driven means to move one display at a time along that portion of said, circuit empty of said compacted displays and means associated with said oscillating means during one normal throw of its oscillation to advance a portion of said compacted displays along said circuit a predetermined distance thereof and means just at the termination of said normal oscillation to move the remaining displays the same distance.

14. In a display device containing a show window and comprising a plurality of overlapping compacted displays, movably restrained in and partially filling a closed circuit therefor, motor driven means to m'ove'said displays one at a time along the empty portion of said circuit, said means consisting of an oscillating parallelogram, one end of which is fulcrumed at a point beyond the plane encompassed by said window and display latching means on the other end of said parallelogram.

15. In a display device containing a show window and comprising a plurality of overlapping compacted displays, movably restrained in and partially filling a closed circuit therefor, motor driven oscillating means to move said displays one at a time along the empty portion of said circuit, said oscillating means fulcrumed at one extremity at a point beyond the plane encompassed by said window and display latching means engageable along the leading edge of said displays at the other extremity.

16. In a display device containing a show Window, a chassis, said chassis containing a plurality of overlapping displays, movably restrained in and partially filling a closed circuit therefor, motor driven oscillating means to move said displays one at a time along the empty portion of said circuit, said oscillating means fulcrumed at one end to said chassis and display latching means at its other extremity and compensating means to maintain said latching means parallel with the display as it is moved along the empty portion of said circuit.

CHAS. ROBERTS. 

